Drake Maye's limited reps in the Patriots preseason opener came as a surprise on Thursday, though that was always the plan in New England.

Maye took just six snaps against the Carolina Panthers for a very quick glimpse at the No. 3 overall pick in his first training camp for the Patriots.

Jerod Mayo assured that Thursday was just one game and Maye would have plenty of time to develop in upcoming matchups. He reaffirmed that on Sunday as the Patriots prepare to host joint practices and another preseason tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Yeah, for all the quarterbacks, it's a huge week for those guys to really show development," Mayo told reporters, per team-provided video. "Drake will play more this week, for sure. But don't forget, anytime you practice against a team, they'll get a lot of good reps against someone else and based on that, we'll see how they'll play in a game. That's all positions, though."

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Jacoby Brissett rolls along in camp with him in all likelihood entering the regular season as the starting quarterback for the Patriots.

In the meantime, Maye and Joe Milton III, who jolted the offense in the opener, have their next opportunity to showcase their development for the Patriots.

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Kickoff between the Patriots and Eagles is set for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

Featured image via Kris Craig/The Providence Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK Images